December’s Best — Editor’s Picks: How To Run With Every Idea You Have

Don’t ignore the best stories from our top writers

Good writers trust every idea they have.

Suppose you had an idea, but you didn’t like it. What should you do? Try to run with it to see where it leads you.

Sometimes, an idea leads to a thought, and that thought, in turn, takes you to a great story.

The worst, or the best, thing about creativity is that an idea cannot be labeled right or wrong. It is not what you write but how you write it.

Running with your original ideas — even ones you don’t like — helps you practice your creative wizardry. You can use different techniques to make your piece likable. If you succeed in reshaping the idea into something enjoyable, it’ll boost your confidence. But if you fail, you kind of already knew it wouldn’t work.

Nobody is going to read — and love — everything you write. But if you respect your creativity, your mind will come up with crazy new ideas that you can make plausible using your skills.

Imagine how crazy the idea of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would have seemed at the start. Or think about HAL 9000. HAL was a sort of artificial consciousness in the 1968 Stanley Kubrick movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando is about a noble who changes into a woman at age 30. Orlando lives for centuries from Elizabeth I to the 1920s and meets famous personalities from history¹.

Another crazy idea is Nikolai Gogol’s The Nose — a long short story. The story tells how a nose escapes from a man’s face and runs around St. Petersburg, climbing the Russian society ladder.

Stephen King thrives on crazy. The hero of his novel series, The Dark Tower, is a gunslinger, named Roland — a supernatural version of Clint Eastwood. The series has a comedian vampire that feeds off laughter, a cyborg-bear filled with worms, and a horde of Dr. Doom-like robots with Harry Potter hand grenades.

Did you notice how these great writers ran with an idea and transformed its weirdness into a masterpiece?

To succeed in your writing career, you have to create without considering what is right or appropriate, or trending. Your creative muscle needs more imaginative work.

If you don’t judge your idea and focus on making it attractive, you can learn to run with your wildest fantasies.

Let’s read about the best stories of December 2020, chosen by the editors of Illumination-Curated:

100. What a Caged Lion Can Teach You About Freedom

Dayton Parks wants to inspire you. His style is simple yet full of suspense. He writes every day. Don’t miss this excellent story.

Lions are among the most popular zoo exhibits. As a child, I loved going to the zoo. I wanted to see these enormous creatures lounging in the sun. And sometimes I was lucky enough to hear one roar. It was exciting. They’re called the king of beasts for a reason.

Visiting a zoo’s lion enclosure is exciting for children and adults. But there are downsides for the lions.

99. I Wrote My Top Earning Story When I Was Fourteen

Amy Colleen writes about trivialities and rare deep thoughts. Her style is charming, pleasant, and refreshing. If you read this story, you’d wait for her future work. Don’t forget to follow her.

That title isn’t clickbait. I really did write my top earning story when I was in ninth grade, but it’s not a success story of childhood genius. No matter how I slice it, it seems to be a fluke.

Let’s rewind.

When I was fourteen, I started participating in National History Day, a competition for middle and high school students that spans a broad range of topics and categories. It’s similar to a science fair, but with much more varied opportunities for presentation. Since writing was always my favorite subject in school, I entered the essay category with a 2,470-word paper about Noah Webster. (The word limit was 2,500. I have never been what one might call succinct.) The paper won first place at my regional competition, third at the state level, but didn’t qualify for the national finals. Bummer.

98. Why Peter Dinklage Will Be the Ultimate Toxic Avenger

Tim Ebl is an author, adventurer, and mindfulness mentor. His style is simple, direct, and engaging. You’ll love it. If you read this story, you’d definitely like to check his other work.

The 1984 film The Toxic Avenger is getting a reboot. It was announced in late November that Peter Dinklage will be the protagonist of the film. It’s a cult classic remake that has a lot of us waiting on the edge of our seats for release day.

Peter Dinklage is best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones. He also appeared in Elf (2003), Lassie (2005), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Avengers: Infinity War (2018)and many other movies.

What makes him a great choice for this role? Let’s break it down. But first, who is the Toxic Avenger?

97. A New Revolutionary Self-Love Social Media Photo Challenge

Crystal Jackson is a former therapist. She is a great writer — someone you should follow. She is going to teach you to love yourself — if you allow her. Don’t miss this one.

While we can all lament about the downsides of social media — trolls, cyberbullies, our constant preoccupation with it, a veritable onslaught of bad news — there’s much to be said for how social media can provide us with a more extensive network of support. Take the photo challenges for instance. Nearly every day, I see some photo challenge — celebrating motherhood, relationships, and even just days when we feel good about ourselves.

96. How to Become a Constant Learner on a Daily Basis

Godofredo Rojas is a coach and a writer. His style is singularly engaging. You must read and understand the spirit of his story if you want to succeed in life.

I wonder what the difference between ordinary and extraordinary people is? Do they have any superpower that differentiates them from others?

When I started reding books about successful entrepreneurs, I realized all of them have something in common. They are constant learners. In their interviews or articles, you realize how they talk, the way they listen, they have something different.

It is a not coincidence that ordinary people refuse to learn, listen, and if someone has a different viewpoint, they ignore or build a fence. Most people don’t have the humility to understand that they can learn something new every day.

95. An Inspiring Journey of Human Connection, and Words

Melissa Bee believes a writer’s words frame her life. She is an excellent writer herself. Her highly engaging style stirs emotions. Read this inspiring story and also check the work of other great writers mentioned in this piece. Don’t miss this one.

In March this year, I decided to write outside of my journal, revealing my thoughts for all eyes. At the time, I was scared out of my mind. Fear, doubt, and negativity, surged through the neurons in my brain, threatening to keep my words hidden in between the pages of black and white notebooks, forever.

My stories could have stayed bound, but here’s the thing — I traveled down that road all my life. I knew what that path led to, and it would bring me back to emptiness every time. I couldn’t do it anymore. Facing my fears have got to be better than this lonely writers road, I thought.

94. Why There Is No Right Way To Use Credit Cards

Shubham Pathania is a coder turned writer. Today he is trying to help us to seek financial freedom.

Many finance gurus already preach to avoid credit cards. You might have heard this bazillion times on the internet. Have you ever thought about what could be the possible reason that so many people advice to stay away from these cards?

Let me first tell you it has nothing to do with your spending habits. People often say that if you plan a budget and stick to it, then credit cards are beneficial. In fact, many financially literate people regularly use it.

93. How Big Are Your Problems?

Adam Clayton is a student of counseling psychology who also loves to write. He is a superb writer. His writing style is thought-provoking and engaging. Don’t miss this masterpiece.

One of my favorite things to do costs nothing, when looking into the starlit sky I find peace. To me, it’s healing, a therapeutic exercise. Gazing up into the unknown I find myself in unusual territory. At long last, I’ve arrived in the NOW, I am present! Nor the past nor future has a hold on me. Finally, I get an opportunity to press the mute button on any inner chatter — I think we all need to find a happy place like this. After all not to be thinking is the only way to be free.

These evening strolls are normally a solitary experience, but not so long ago a good friend accompanied me. “Look carefully there, can you see the formation of the stars, they look like a frying pan!” I said. To me, it was so clear, but he saw no pattern, no figure nor shape. Just a scattering of stars.

92. Re-Examining The Matrix 20 Years Later

Aaron Meacham loves Kurt Vonnegut and cold brew coffee. He is a superb writer. In this fine story, he is re-examining The Matrix. You’ll enjoy reading this piece.

When The Matrix released in March 1999, it warped pop culture and the blockbuster film industry around its presence. Its blend of science fiction, technology, and philosophy would go on to have lasting impacts, despite the disappointing attempts of writer/director siblings The Wachowskis to recapture lighting in the subsequent bottles of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

The gravity of the sequels pulls conversations about the series in a very particular direction, which I hope to ignore(as much as possible) to focus on the self-contained narrative of The Matrix, with its dominating themes of reality, self, and technology.

91. Lessons Learned from a Government Agency that Posts Surreal Memes on Social Media

Simon Spichak is a brilliant neuroscience and science communicator. He has a perfect case study to share with you.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission in the USA is an important government agency responsible for keeping the public safe. Often, these messages are boring and unengaging. After all, how do you make advice like wearing helmets or replacing batteries in carbon monoxide detectors fun? I stumbled on the strange, wonderful, and surreal Twitter account for this agency. Pivoting to memes, their Twitter account has almost 90 000 followers. It provides the perfect case study for learning how to craft your message and grow an audience.

90. Hindsight is the Best Teacher Ever

Liz Porter is a corporate girl gone solopreneur. She wants to inspire and entertain her readers. Her style is charming, educating, and delightful. Don’t forget to read his other stories as well.

He popped the tab on his Coke can with one hand and gave me a little smirk as he took his first sip.

I didn’t know Logan well; he was just another co-worker sharing the lunchroom. A few seats away from mine, he munched away on his roast beef sandwich without a word.

There was a TV on the far wall, just noise to me, but he seemed to be following it and chuckled along with the audience.

My lunch, long since abandoned, was pushed aside as I sat alone mindlessly flipping through a Cosmopolitan.

89. Our Love for MyLibooks

Melissa Bee is an excellent writer who believes in the power of love. Her style is charmingly engaging. She is sharing Kaylee’s first reading experiences. I still remember the joy I felt on the day when I read my first story. Don’t miss this one.

As more parents have been homeschooling amid the pandemic, we search for resources that can make learning fun, easy, and enjoyable. MyLibooks has been able to deliver on it all, positively impacting my 4-year-old, Kaylee.

MyLibooks are a series of personalized books created for early emergent readers. These books have made Kaylee excited to read!

88. An In-depth Review on What I Consider to be the Best Portable Gaming Systems

Christopher Harvey is a long time writer and musician. He loves to share his thoughts. But in this story, he is sharing his honest opinion on gaming systems. If you like games, don’t miss this one.

Nowadays a lot of people want to play games, wherever they might be. But the reality is that playing games come with its fair share of challenges at times. This is why you have to be committed to the process and actively find a way to make this more rewarding. Portable gaming is a way to do that, and there are some great consoles to check out.

87. How Dr.Martens Became Iconic

Maximilian Perkmann is a blogger, product manager, tech and financial enthusiast. He is a superb writer as well. Do check his other work after reading this ‘cult brand’ story.

Upon the arrival of my first pair of Dr Martens boots, I got inspired by the iconic item. They can be seen at movie premieres as well as at live concerts, Emma Watson wears them as well as Orlando Bloom: Doc Martens are among the most sought-after shoe brands in the world. Over time, they have sometimes been less trendy, sometimes more. But today, the cult brand has established itself as a fixed part of the fashion world and yet is far more than just a fashion phenomenon.

86. How Cuomo Became the Leader of the Nation’s COVID-19 Response

Dr. Dion is an outstanding writer. Unbothered. Unapologetic. Unashamed.

Her writing style is direct, informative, and very engaging. She has three stories on this list.

Some of her stories have gone viral in recent days. Follow her. Read her. Try to learn from her style.

In the spring of this year, New York State became the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis. New York was slammed with COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths as a horrified nation watched in disbelief. NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo began a series of daily COVID briefings that alternately captivated and comforted the country. For many weeks, they were broadcast on national news networks, presenting a stark contrast to Donald Trump’s own daily briefings which ranged from ridiculous to bizarre to downright dangerous as he downplayed the pandemic, crowed about his ratings, moved the goalposts every time he missed his own mark, and encouraged people to alternately try snake oil remedies and ingest any number of household disinfectants.

85. She Encouraged Me to Share on Stage

Liz Porter is a corporate girl gone solopreneur. She wants to inspire and entertain her readers. Her style is charming, educating, and delightful. Don’t forget to read his other stories as well.

Liz Porter found out she loved writing late in life, and now it feels like breathing to her. She’s healing as she finds her voice, but her motivation is to empower you with her words.

She writes true gritty stories about the many twists and turns in her life. She lost herself in that mess, but on this special day, she shared secrets she hadn’t told anyone in front of an audience of 300 strangers.

Deciding on the soft pink blazer, I slid my bare feet into grey strappy sandals to pull the outfit together.

A nervous wreck, I ran back to the bathroom for the third time. That’s when I knew I’d be skipping breakfast.

It was still early, but I couldn’t trust the traffic, so I gunned it out of the driveway and took off. I considered bailing several times that morning, but Elizabeth was counting on me, and I couldn’t let her down.

She wasn’t the only one who changed that day…

84. Do You Use Data To Understand Your User Or To Control Them?

Leo Guinan is a polymath who is trying to solve time by solving money. He is an excellent writer as well. His writing voice is frank, direct, and engaging. If you like this story, do check his other work.

In this piece, Leo explores the reasons that companies collect data on their users. He examines the rise of behavioral marketing and how this has led to companies trying to control our behaviors. He also explores how the future can be modified to prevent companies from doing so in the future.

The future is data. The present is also data. Actually, so is the past.

If you want to figure out how to make money, understand how to collect and analyze data. With data, all things are possible.

And therein lies the problem. All things are possible. Given the right data, anyone can control the behaviors of others.

Do You Use Data To Understand Your User Or To Control Them? Both Are Possible. One Is Bad.medium.com

83. What It’s Really Like Growing Up in an All Girls Convent

Jessie London is an MA in English and a BA in Literature. She is a tech entrepreneur for 15 years. Now she is also a full-time writer focusing on mental health, feminism, crime, and business.

Her writing style is simple, direct, and engaging. She is new to Medium and needs your love. Don’t miss this one.

The school mission was to create a place of Catholic values, attitudes, practice and knowledge such that all girls will have the opportunity for their faith to be nurtured. Thus they will be able to widen and deepen themselves as ladies in preparation for this life and for the life to come.

​Excellent results were a given in this small, rural convent, with teaching delivered mainly by the nuns who lived there.

By the time I started school, the cane was no longer legal in the UK, but one still hung on the wall in each classroom.

82. The Two Most Important Skills, If You Want to Thrive in the 21st Century

Haris Mohammad writes for personal growth and business. He is a superb writer. Today he is trying to teach you the two most important skills. Don’t skip it.

A little over twenty-five years ago, Jeff Bezos saw a trend. The internet was growing in usage at an incredible rate (like “bacteria in a Petri dish,” he says). He realized it was set to change the world forever. Bezos didn’t want to be left out of the action. He quit his job and founded Amazon. Today he is worth almost $200 billion.

Around the same time, Elon Musk was pursuing his Ph.D. when he had a similar realization. He dropped out and founded his first company, Zip2. Today he is worth almost $100 billion.

81. Why I Stopped Forgiving People… and Maybe You Should, Too

Paul Thomas Zenki is an excellent writer. You must follow him. His style is always thought-provoking and engaging. Don’t miss this masterpiece.

Forgive and forget, right? I used to think that. I don’t anymore.

Now look, I know I’m up against some real heavy hitters here when I say maybe you should stop forgiving people. After all, isn’t forgiveness a cornerstone of the major religions?

The Tanakh says that one who forgives an insult keeps a friend (Proverbs 17:9). The Christian New Testament says to forgive, if you have anything against anyone (Mark 11:25). The Qur’an says that one who forgives shall have reward with God (42.40). The Vedas say that forgiveness is the greatest strength (Mahābhārata 5.33.48).

80. How Did Amazing Tiny Structures Called Plastids Help Make Plants and People Possible?

Rich Sobel writes about fascinating creatures and biological issues that affect our lives. This excellent story explains how evolution is not a linear process. Don’t miss this one if you like science.

What do you really know about how evolution produced creatures like the giant California Redwoods, or whales, elephants and humans?

What if I told you it all came about in no small part due to some tiny microscopic structures that are found inside one particular kind of cell?

And that these tiny structures are organelles called plastids.

79. If Cardi B’s Music Is Obscene So Is What Makes It Necessary

Andrew Jazprose Hill writes with heart but edits with mind — a perfect combo. His writing style is fluent, entertaining, and opinionated. Do check his other work.

It is one thing to say, “God is great,” as Cardi B does in the profile blurb on her Instagram account. But anyone can say that. Only those who have faced some dark hour of need and found themselves gazing upward understand why God is great. Those three words come nowhere close to describing what they point to. But words are all we have. And as T.S. Eliot tells us, words strain, crack, and sometimes break.

That’s why the photograph on this page may be my favorite of all the Cardi B images I have ever seen. Those upturned eyes say more than words. Even if God is not on her mind at the captured moment, the camera sometimes has a way of telling the truth.

78. The Secret Suffering of C.S. Lewis

A.M. Cal is an award-winning producer and a master of arts in film. Her style is learned and deep. She is a superb writer. If you missed reading this masterpiece, here is your chance to undo that.

In his book, The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis summarizes the paradox of good and evil. He argues that pain, suffering, and hell are not sufficient reasons to reject the belief in an all powerful, benevolent creator. The partial theodicy gives readers insight concerning the differing perspective of God and his creation, stating, “if God were good, he would make his creatures perfectly happy, and if he were almighty he would be able to do what he wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both (p. 88).” It should be considered that Lewis does not claim to have a solution to this problem as humans cannot reach a full understanding of why God allows evil. A difficult childhood, Lewis was no stranger to grief and suffering throughout his life.

77. The Ignorance Phase Faced by Every Budding Social Media Influencer

Swati Suman writes to share her opinions and evolve in the process. In this great story, she wants to share her ideas on ways to increase the number of views and get noticed. Don’t miss it.

Many who believe that Confidence is ignorance, it might be to the ones who ignore it. But what about the situation in context to the ones being ignored? For instance — A Creator, An Influencer, A Blogger, or A Marketer.

The question one asks when getting ignored —

Why am I not getting enough engagement,

What is the reason behind not getting views,

When should I post to get enough traction, or

How may I help resolve the issue?

76. Steps Toward Unity

Fleur Sauvage is Soul, Coffee, Ink, Poetry, Wellness & Healing — their words. Their writing style borders on literary nonfiction, and it’s extremely pleasant to read something so wisely written.

It is a different taste. Do read their other work. Follow them.

It’s a cool Autumn morning. So many colors swaying in unison as the wind slowly strips the trees. Brown, yellow, red; tans and oranges still tinged with green. I’m the only one out to admire this brisk beauty.

It’s hard for me not to frolic in the leaves. After all, I’m an “adult” and knowing my luck someone will be sipping their morning coffee — peering out the window just in time to see a stranger rolling around on their lawn. I don’t care to explain to the police or a shrink that enjoying the natural world is the sanest thing a person can do, so I refrain. Besides, I’m on a mission. My fitness tracker chimed issuing a challenge: First to 30,000 steps and I plan on winning. So, I continue at my pace in a virtual race with 100 other people around the world whom I’ll never meet, but I hope at least one of them can see the colors I see.

75. Gut Microbes Could Provide Protection Against Radiation Damage

Eshan Samaranayake is passionate about the synergy between science and technology to provide better care.

He is an excellent writer. His writing voice is informative, direct, and engaging. Gut microbes help us digest food — but in this story, he is telling us about a new discovery. Don’t miss this one.

A study has shown that specific types of bacteria protect mice from harmful radiation. The bacteria mitigated radiation exposure and enhanced the recovery of blood cell production as well as repair of the gastrointestinal tract.

74. What Happens Now That the Electoral College Confirmed Biden’s Win Yet Again?

Jennifer Geer loves to write about wellness and running. She is an extraordinary writer. Her style is simple, direct, and engaging. Do check her other work as well.

For someone who doesn’t like losing, soon-to-be-former President Trump continues to put himself up for devastating loss after devastating loss.

As he predicted, one of his nonsense lawsuits, the one from the state of Texas, made it all the way to the Supreme Court. What he didn’t predict was the conservative court unanimously dismissed the case almost immediately.

And now it’s official. The electoral college has met and affirmed victory for Joe Biden. There were no faithless electors. No state legislatures replaced the winning party’s electors for Trump loyalists. The day passed with no surprises, as it does every four years in America.

73. Understanding Transgender, for Cis Folks

Paul Thomas Zenki likes to mix neuroscience, Buddhism, physics, and literature. His writing style is relaxed, informal, and engaging. In this great article, he is explaining a point all of us are interested to know. Don’t miss this one.

Imagine you wake one morning to find a third arm, fully formed from the elbow down, extending from your solar plexus right in the center of your chest. It looks like your other limbs, you can move it just as easily, and it senses touch and hot and cold and pain just like the others.

And yet, it feels alien. Like something foreign that has been implanted inside of you and grown out on its own. Not really “your” arm at all.

What do you do?

72. Way Too Many Writers Make It Too Easy for Readers to Click Out of Their Articles

Boateng Sekyere writes engaging pieces on self-development. His style is, well, engaging. If you have not read it already, go ahead and read it. It will help you as a writer.

Here’s another article from Boateng Sekyere in which he shares some things readers expect writers to know, or else it’s curtains for the writer.

Writing from a reader’s point of view, he notes that sometimes writers don’t help their cause, they leave the reader little choice but to find a way out. Enjoy.

No force, no power, no human can rend asunder the bond between writer and reader. That’s what I’ve seen when I wore the cloak of a writer and played the role of a reader.

But sometimes, as a writer, even after you sprinkle the right amount of spice into your article — enough to whet their appetites and water their mouths — you realize only a few of them want a bite. Sorry, but it happens to every writer.

71. 5 Improved Paths to Productivity

John Teehan is an excellent writer who likes to write about tech. His style is informative and compelling. If you read this story — and understand the core message — you’ll become more productive without feeling burdened. Don’t miss this one.

I can’t blame anyone for being hyper-focused on boosting their productivity. Getting work done is how we get paid. Who doesn’t want that?

But sometimes, we get so focused on being productive that it becomes anti-productive. Instead of dwelling on being productive all the time, direct your efforts more to those parts of the day when you generally perform at your best and take advantage of making the most of those times.

Here are some ways to walk that path.

70. 4 Narrative Tools That Trick Our Brains

Aaron Meacham is becoming an excellent writer. He is a natural storyteller who believes in the power of storytelling. Does his style convince you? Don’t miss this one.

It’s a well-established claim that humans are narrative animals. Artists, neuroscientists, ad designers, psychologists, and even political scientists are aware of the uniquely powerful relationship that we have with storytelling. As an English educator for over ten years, exploring the tools and influence of narrative has always been a central feature of my work. And as much as educators encourage children to read for pleasure and language fluency, understanding narrative also helps to navigate the world by understanding relationships, traits, meaning, and values.

69. Do You Know What A Nurse Actually Does?

Julie Nyhus MSN, FNP-BC is a nurse practitioner and an excellent write who likes to focus on health and medicine. You cannot — should not — ignore her work. Follow her. Read her story to know more about what a nurse actually does.

The majority of people don’t know what it is that nurses do. It’s not the public’s fault. Nurses have been quiet about it for too long.

I’ve been a nurse for over 20 years and none of us expect non-nurses to understand the scope of nursing practice from which we unwind our magic every day.

But when television and media — (cough) the new medical drama Nurses — portray my incredible profession as unfriendly, incompetent, and poorly trained, it’s time to spread the word: that is not who we are!

68. Viruses Reshape Their Host Cellular Machinery for Their Own Needs

Shrish Tariq is a plant pathologist and curious about plant-microbe interactions. She is a reader, writer, and researcher.

Her writing style is formal, informative, and engaging. Learn how viruses reshape their host’s cellular machinery.

The infection of a plant by pathogens leads to severe losses in the form of yield and production. These microbial pathogens are of various kinds. Some are multicellular like fungi, nematodes, unicellular organisms like bacteria, and also non-cellular viruses. Among all phytopathogens, plant viruses are the most important plant pathogens that convert host cellular components into proviral factors. And then use these components for their RNA or DNA synthesis.

67. A Japanese Mother Hires a Father for Her Daughter

Zul Bal writes to collect, capture, and curate ordinary beautiful ideas. She is an exceptional writer. Her charming style is conversational and highly engaging.

It is stories like these where I use these words: Well-written stories take less time to read.

This 4-minute read seems like a 1-minute read. Don’t miss it. And don’t forget to see her other work.

Growing up without a father was difficult enough for Manna. Being bullied for not having one made life more unbearable for her. At the age of ten, she became withdrawn and didn’t even want to talk with her mother about her troubles with school bullies.

Her behaviour worried her mother, Hiromi. By talking to her daughter’s teachers, she found out that Manna was ostracized by her friends for not having a father and had no one to play with. Soon, she refused to go to school.

66. How to Know You Didn’t Do a Good Job Explaining Your Startup

Leo Guinan is a polymath who is trying to solve time by solving money. He is an excellent writer as well. His writing voice is frank, direct, and engaging. If you like this story, do check his other work.

I quit my corporate job a couple of weeks ago in order to pursue my dream of launching a startup. The night I decided that I needed to quit in order to pursue my dream, I had a conversation with my dad.

He tried to talk me out of it. He is risk-averse. He thought that I should be safe. I shouldn’t risk my stability.

65. How to Stay Strong in Tough Times

Leah Njoki is here to help us create the best relationship with ourselves and others. She is an excellent writer. Her writing voice is artistic, direct, and engaging. She has thousands of followers already. But you’d love to follow her if you read this masterpiece.

“I miss her every day. I’ve never cleaned out her closet. I’m not there yet. I want to keep her memories as alive as long as I possibly can. She was the woman I adored. Although she’s been gone a year, the pain is still raw. When the cruel arm of death snatched her away, it ripped my heart into shreds.” Jack wrote these words in a social media post.

Last Wednesday was precisely one year since a tragic road accident robbed Jack of the love of his life. Trying to come to terms with his loss has been a roller coaster ride of mixed emotions. On some days, getting out of bed is incredibly difficult, and others feel a tiny bit easier.

64. “The Truman Show” Might Have Been a Preview of Everyone’s Lives Today

The Maverick Files is a thinker, finance professional, loving husband, a doting dad, and a fitness enthusiast. He is an editor of Illumination as well.

He has a simple, direct, and engaging writing style. Don’t miss this masterpiece. Do check his other work.

I think it was 2008, and I was a 20-year old living in a boys’ hostel during my undergraduate degree, and all we did was play a bunch of multiplayer games (think Age of Empires II and Counter-strike — yep, those golden days!) and exchange movies on “hard drives” because the cloud didn’t exist.

The Truman Show, a real gem of a movie from 1998, was one of those that I watched during those days, and it left a lasting impression on me, and I’ve probably watched it about 5 times since. Once when I wanted my parents to watch it for the crazy idea that it was, another time with my sister and brother-in-law, and the latest being with my wife, who isn’t so much of a Hollywood movie person.

63. Kentucky Deserves So Much Better Than Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul

Dr. Dion is an excellent writer and I have selected her work more times than any other writer. Unbothered. Unapologetic. Unashamed.

Do check her other work. Follow her, read her, and wait for her next piece.

The great state of Kentucky is represented in the US Senate by two Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. Respectfully, and with a nod to kindness and civility, these are two of the worst people in the world.

McConnell has a reported net worth of $30 million (though the bulk of this stems from an inheritance his wealthy mother-in-law left to his wealthy wife, Donald Trump’s Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao). Paul, an ophthalmologist since 1993, is reportedly worth approximately $2.5 million. The per capita income for Kentuckians is $28,178; the median household income is $50,589. So, both senators fare much better than the average Kentuckian. And yet, in the face of the worst public health and economic crises of our lifetimes, these two elected representatives of the people have done everything in their power to withhold needed financial assistance from their own constituents, and the country as a whole.

62. What Growing up in a Large Family Taught Me at an Early Age

Rebecca Romanelli is a curious learner. She enjoys nature and she is dedicated to an open mind. Her writing voice is calm, focused, and winning. You have to check her other work as well.

We kids taught, tortured and loved each other as daily lessons piled on at a rapid rate. Our dynamics were easily captured in the annual Xmas photo session we all dreaded. Do you have any idea how long it took for one halfway decent shot? Hours.

The overexposed photo above was probably the 30th take from my dad’s manually timed camera. My mother had been reduced to casting her eyes to the heavens for neural relief. The nose pickers, bird flippers, bathroom breakers and teen scowler antics had morphed our faces into frozen smiles.

61. Mixed Signals and Quirky Body Language

Gayle Kurtzer-Meyers is a positive thinking freelance writer. She is a wonderful writer. If you read this story, you’ll probably check her other work and then you’ll become her lifelong fan.

Whether we’re talking to our children, friends, or coworkers, the way we use our body and facial expressions become part and parcel of the signals we are sending out. With more than 250,000 facial expressions available to us, there’s an endless expanse of potential messages someone can pick up on through what we don’t say.

The unique aspect of nonverbal behavior is that we don’t realize what kind of messages we’re sending out. Even if they’re strangers or children who have yet to develop their social skills fully, other people are better judges of what our nonverbal behavior says about us than we are.

60. The Power of Music to Create Positive Change in Your Life

Tania Miller is a writer and an orchestra conductor. She explores life through music and creativity. Her style is simple, direct, and engaging. If you have not read this story already, don’t miss it now.

When we are suffering, sometimes it feels best to be alone. We have friends and loved ones around us, and we can reach out to them at any time, but we’d rather just be alone with our thoughts, away from distractions, connecting to ourselves in the quiet.

Music can help us immeasurably during this time. It’s an understanding force, and there’s something about its wordlessness that helps us to see our reflection in its mirror without our having to explain anything. We can just be there — listening or playing the music. The music matches our mood, or it can help us change it too — it’s as we wish, since we choose its purpose.

59. How Thoughts Turn to Things — According to Quantum Biology

Simona is passionate about sharing insights from science to help bring more mindfulness, joy, and self-compassion into the lives of others. She is a brilliant writer.

Her writing style is simple, direct, and engaging. Follow her, read her stories, and wait for her future work. She needs your energy.

It’s a question people have been asking for thousands of years. How — if at all — do our thoughts affect our everyday reality?

Over the past couple of decades, attention to topics such as the law of attraction and the mind-body connection has exploded. Yet while the methods that supposedly teach us how to manifest our dream life are countless, the scientific data that explores this field is relatively scarce.

Every personal development book out there reiterates the importance of mindset. But have you ever wondered WHY exactly mindset so important — from a biological standpoint?

58. How to Avoid Motion Sickness When the World Won’t Stop Spinning

Crystal Jackson is a former therapist. She is the author of the Heart of Madison series and My Words are Whiskey.

She is an exceptional writer. Her style is elegant, charming, and very engaging. There is little chance that you’ll click away once you start reading.

I want to live. Not to exist, struggling from one day to the next. Sometimes, I start with gratitude, thinking of everyone and everything I love. My children first, always. My love. Stories I have to tell that I haven’t yet told. The incredible beauty of the world around me.

But every day comes with a new reminder that life as I knew it is not as I know it now. I want the pain to stop. But the world just keeps spinning.

57. What First Responders Want You To Know About Covid-19 (I Think)

Emily Kingsley is an excellent writer. She is humble and honest. You’ll love her story. Don’t miss this one.

I’m not a first responder, but I’m married to one. In a way, that makes me a first responder to a first responder. While he responds to your emergencies, I’m the one who is waiting at home to help him celebrate the good calls, process the bad calls, and keep everything in perspective so he can go to work again the next day.

My husband is the type of paramedic that you really hope shows up when your dad has a heart attack or your toddler wakes up covered in hives.

56. 5 Actions You Can Take To Add New Positive Influences Into Your Life

Rob Cyrier is an excellent writer and a family man. He loves technology. But in this great article, he is telling us to mend our ways. Don’t miss this one.

When you make an effort to live your life more consciously, you start noticing things are literally sucking the life right out of you.

You wake up out of your subconscious slumber, take a look around, and wonder how in the world you got yourself into certain situations.

55. Embracing Tsundoku — How a Library of Unread Books Can Expand Your Mind

Zachary Minott is an avid reader, athlete, and a philosopher. He is here to teach you an impossible lesson: ‘Why the books you don’t consume provide more value to your life than the books you do consume’. Don’t you want to know more?

An abundance of knowledge and books leads to expected behaviors that you, my curious friend, might identify with:

* Buying more books than you have time to read especially when you have a collection of unread books in your personal library still waiting to be read

* Saving yet another article to read later on Medium to go along with your collection of the other 100 articles that intrigued in the past

* Adding another lecture or video essay to your watch-later playlist on Youtube.

In Japan, the term best used to describe this is Tsundoku.

54. Why You Should Try Slow Reading

Jason Ward wrote this gem. If you missed it, here is an opportunity to undo that.

Reading purely for enjoyment, absorbing and savoring words seems to be being replaced with a need to simply consume information. On an increasing number of websites, there are estimates of how long a piece will take you to read. Book summary apps are immensely popular. I keep reading articles about ‘How I read x number of books a year/month/week’.

53. Rotate Your Beliefs

Julie Nyhus MSN, FNP-BC is an excellent writer. She is a nurse practitioner and a health writer. Her style is informative and compelling. Don’t forget to read this masterpiece.

I have been working on a personal essay for the second edition of Empty The Pews, a remarkable collection of “Twenty-one timely, affecting essays by those who survived hardline, authoritarian religious ideology and uprooted themselves from the reality-averse churches that ultimately failed to contain their spirits.”

Although it would be absolutely amazing if my essay were chosen for the second edition, all I find myself focusing on is their incredible mission: Empty the Pews! I wish I would have thought of it myself. But I suppose the deep, unspoken need for self-survival (getting out of religion) overshadowed any possible insight to take anyone with me.

52. What Every Writer Should Stop Doing — Eating Their Marshmallow

Naf Beltran writes in bursts fueled by coffee. You’ll like the story and do not eat your marshmallow — take it slow. Relax. Don’t miss this one.

I can feel the rush inside me. I have to write every day as part of my writing challenge.

Don’t procrastinate, I will tell myself. But wait, shouldn’t I at least fix my bed first, before heading to my laptop?

Sometimes the ‘I’ wins, the writer wins, or the ‘id’ wins, the one who can’t delay the gratification of seeing his story done and finished.

I have to be honest. I have been writing one story a day, and if I can squeeze in another story after I finish, I will write some more.

51. 5 Problems With the Myth of Meritocracy

Mayra Boppre is a Brazillian in Ireland. She is a superb writer. Her writing style is simple, direct, and engaging. If you started reading this story, you would not be able to click away easily. Don’t forget to follow her.

Reflecting on recent global events, it sparked my curiosity how much the myth of meritocracy is harmful and how it’s been shaping people’s behaviour negatively.

When we believe that whatever we achieve it’s only due to a combination of hard work and pure talent, we are ignoring the fact that there’s a whole system that unfairly contributes to our successes.

Let me break the news: nothing is guaranteed. Still, people buy into the idea of a meritocracy, giving them a false sense of entitlement.

50. How Pope Nicholas V Used the Church to Start the Disgraceful Slave Trade

Allison Gaines is a black womanist, Masters in Psychology, and a teacher. She is an outstanding writer. If you love history, don’t miss this one. Please do check her other work.

In 1452, Pope Nicholas V charged Alfonso of Portugal with the Christian duty to enslave any non-Christian. The Pope’s act would be the first recorded international edict to literally grant a Christian nation the right to promote, enforce, and heavily profit from slave trading. Decades later, Pope Alexander VI beckoned Christian monarchs to conquer native populations in the name of the Catholic Church, upholding his predecessor’s tradition to enslave non-Christians in whatever lands they called home (Muhammad, 2019).

While discussions about slavery often center on European nations’ wrongdoings, historians often obscure the role of the Catholic Church. The truth is like the sound of an alarm after a long night of drinking; it may sound unpleasant, but it is essential to move on from the drunken stupor.

49. 5 Powerful Questions to Self Coach Yourself to Success

Gizem Cetgin is a digital nomad, leadership coach who writes about overcoming imposter syndrome, following your bliss, and relationships.

She is an exceptional writer. Her writing style is informative, thought-provoking, and elegant. Don’t miss this one.

As a startup mentor and a coach, I witnessed so many entrepreneurs going through the trenches of selling their idea to the investors, creating momentum in their business, and finally “making it”. Some made it, so many didn’t.

As for why so many can’t make it, I knew the usual reasons such as product-market fit, the team experience and dynamics, timing, and luck, etc. But, connecting deeper with entrepreneurs, now as an entrepreneur myself, I’ve become fascinated by the internal process that strongly influences whether we can achieve our goals.

48. Black Female Professional. Desperately Seeking Mentor.

Rebecca Stevens A. is a global nomad-Sierra Leone-Switzerland-Canada-Sociologist-Philosopher-Writer-Swimmer-Paraglider-Dog lover-Passionate-Kind-Impatient Optimist-Pro-Democracy-Brave.

If you read the intro of this list, she is using micromessages to narrate her entire life story. That is the spirit of writing short.

She is an extraordinary writer. Follow her. Read her. Wait for her next story.

I’m not looking for just anyone to mentor me. I am looking for someone who understands what it means to be different from one’s colleagues. I am looking for someone who empathizes, who understands that it is not easy to navigate a dominantly white corporate world.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I want a mentor that looks like me, I’m saying I want a mentor who understands how it feels to always be in the minority — in a way, to be the underdog. Why do I insist on this? Because I truly believe that if you can put yourself in the shoes of someone of an underrepresented group, the quality of mentoring you’ll give me will be richer, mutually fulfilling, and definitely much more useful.

47. Calling Time of Death is Hard

Ruby Melone is a superb writer. Her sad story tells us about the challenges the medical professionals face daily.

It’s a very average morning on a very average ICU in a very average hospital, somewhere in Germany. While the rest of the world might be under the impression, that the infection with the Corona Virus is the only life-threatening disease these days, that’s of course not true.

On our ward, people are suffering from cancer, hepatitis, autoimmune diseases, and more.

While the new virus is overshadowing the year 2020, other sicknesses have not stopped.

46. 3 Incredibly Simple and Effective Ways to Boost Your Writing Success

Dawn Bevier is a teacher and a writer. She is an accomplished writer with a compelling voice. Follow her. Read her. You’ll love her work. Promise.

I’ve been writing for quite a while. I’ve thought about giving up so so many times. But there’s an inner Yoda inside me that says, ”Keep going, young Jedi. You have the power, but the Force is not mastered easily. Learn more, you must.”

And it’s been exasperating at times. And tiring. And disappointing. But I have attained so much information by pushing forward. I’ve begun to learn the “writing ropes,” and I’m growing now both as an artist and as a marketer of my own work.

45. 5 Actions You Can Take To Add New Positive Influences Into Your Life

Rob Cyrier is an excellent writer and a family man. He loves technology. But in this great article, he is telling us to mend our ways. Don’t miss this one.

When you make an effort to live your life more consciously, you start noticing things are literally sucking the life right out of you.

You wake up out of your subconscious slumber, take a look around, and wonder how in the world you got yourself into certain situations.

44. How to Stay Strong in Tough Times

Leah Njoki is a writer who loves to write about self-improvement and self-love. Her style is inspiring and full of emotions. Do check her other work.

“I miss her every day. I’ve never cleaned out her closet. I’m not there yet. I want to keep her memories as alive as long as I possibly can. She was the woman I adored. Although she’s been gone a year, the pain is still raw. When the cruel arm of death snatched her away, it ripped my heart into shreds.” Jack wrote these words in a social media post.

Last Wednesday was precisely one year since a tragic road accident robbed Jack of the love of his life. Trying to come to terms with his loss has been a roller coaster ride of mixed emotions. On some days, getting out of bed is incredibly difficult, and others feel a tiny bit easier.

43. Why Science Should Take the Soul Seriously

Paul Thomas Zenki’s style is deep and thorough. It’s your soul he is trying to find with his words, knowledge, and ideas. But when you’ll read this story, you’ll see how superbly he explains the concept of the human soul — using simple events of human life.

In the spring of 2005, the Woodside Hospice in Pinnelas Park, Florida, became ground-zero of a national debate over life, death, human rights, and the soul. The storm was sparked by a clash between the husband and the parents of Terri Schiavo (pronounced shave-oh), a woman residing at the hospice, and grew to encompass the state governor, the American Congress, a US President, national and international media, and the Vatican.

42. Most People Fail Because They Do This First (Big Mistake)

Isaiah McCall is a USA Today Reporter and Ultramarathoner. He writes about cryptocurrency, fitness hacks, and Greek philosophy.

He is a superb writer. If you have not seen the past Top 10 lists, he is in most of them. Do check his other work.

When looking at someone who has achieved much in life, we often compare ourselves to the final version:

Kobe Bryant was simply a gifted basketball player that relied on his genetics.

Stephen King was born to write; he came into the world pen in hand, ready to give us “Carrie.”

In reality, these individuals were talented, yes, but it was the unglamorous, rarely seen hard work that created the legends they became.

41. Speaking Out As a Black Woman Brings Death Threats from Trump Supporters

Jeanette C. Espinoza is a mom of two amazing humans and the author of 3 books. She is an outstanding writer. Her style is formal, well-researched, and highly engaging. You should follow her if you want to learn to write well.

Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, participated in a bizarre press conference on December 2nd with Michigan’s House Oversight Committee to discuss claims of mass voter fraud for the 2020 presidential election.

Besides subsequently testing positive for COVID-19 which caused the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration to site the Michigan House of Representatives with COVID workplace violations, Giuliani and his motley crew of witnesses proceeded to spread wild falsehoods regarding the integrity of the ballot counting process.

40. The Two Most Important Skills, If You Want to Thrive in the 21st Century

Haris Mohammad is a coach, trader, and engineer. He writes about personal growth, money, and business. He is an excellent writer. His writing style is thought-provoking and engaging. Do check his other work.

A little over twenty-five years ago, Jeff Bezos saw a trend. The internet was growing in usage at an incredible rate (like “bacteria in a Petri dish,” he says). He realized it was set to change the world forever. Bezos didn’t want to be left out of the action. He quit his job and founded Amazon. Today he is worth almost $200 billion.

Around the same time, Elon Musk was pursuing his Ph.D. when he had a similar realization. He dropped out and founded his first company, Zip2. Today he is worth almost $100 billion.

39. The 3 Rules of Writing Engaging Articles That Attract an Audience

Dayton Parks wants to inspire you. His style is simple yet full of suspense. Don’t miss this excellent story.

Dayton Parks has also written, “The 3 Rules of Writing Engaging Articles That Attract an Audience”. In this engaging story, he shares how he attracts readers and has them coming back to read more.

With Medium’s over 100 million readers, there are a lot of opportunities for writers to get published and attract readers. But just writing article after article without a human element won’t work. You need to write engaging articles that draw readers to you. And the strongest method of attracting readers is by creating an emotional connection.

38. Vaccine Opposition, an Origin Story

Bashar Salame loves to write about restoring health and enhancing life. He is an exceptional writer. His style is informative and engaging. Don’t miss this one and check his other work.

Science saves, plain and simple. Science saves time, science saves energy, and above all, science saves lives. Scientific advancements have led to a vast array of efficiencies, improvements in energy production and usage, travel, as well as countless medical breakthroughs.

One reason for this has to do with clinical trials. Typically, a clinical trial begins with animals. Provided the study shows efficacy and the animals do well, only then will researchers move on to people. Beginning with small groups, researchers increase trial participants until a well representative portion of the population is studied.

37. Here Is How to Publish a Shortform Story on Medium

Dr Jeff Livingston is an excellent writer. If you are not following him already, here is your chance. After you read this story, do check his other work.

Have you noticed those weird-looking short stories popping up in your daily feeds? I have. At first, they just confused me. I was not sure what was happening. Then, I noticed I was reading every single one of them from start to finish.

After this lightbulb moment, it was time to investigate this different style of publishing Medium refers to as shortform stories. If you are not familiar with shortform, here is an article from Creator’s Hub explaining how this story style works.

36. What I Learned From a Year Dedicated to Writing a Novel

Luke Beling lives in Hawaii and finds joy in his stories. He is a superb writer and he is sharing with you his personal experiences. If you read this story, you are definitely going to read his other work as well.

I began 2020 with a simple mission: write a novel. I settled on a manageable word count per day (250) and started a story that had long been brewing under the surface. I’m a short-term goals oriented type of person. It’s difficult for me to stay with projects, ideas, or pursuits that span over months. I like to get things done immediately, then move onto the next task. Writing a novel wasn’t only out of my comfort zone; it was out of my universe.

“Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way…”

35. LinkedIn Isn’t Facebook or Twitter, and Surely Not Tinder

The Maverick Files is a thinker and financial professional. He is a wonderful writer and an editor of Illumination and Illumination-Curated. He is disciplined and a doer. If you haven’t read this story, here is your chance to read his work.

Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Quora. Most of you reading this probably have accounts on at least 5 of these 7 platforms, don’t you?

Well, I gave up on these a long time ago. I have some of the most basic accounts, which I also barely use. I’ve got a Facebook, that I barely spend anytime on, and a Linkedin where I update any promotions/job changes but have a very incomplete profile on.

34. Barr Abandons Trump When He Needs Him Most

Dr. Dion is an outstanding writer. Unbothered. Unapologetic. Unashamed.

Her writing style is direct, informative, and very engaging. She has three stories on this list.

Some of her stories have gone viral in recent days. Follow her. Read her. Try to learn from her style.

By all accounts, Donald Trump is angry, defiant, delusional, and downright sad about having to leave the White House. You did not have to be a psychiatrist or a mind reader to know early in Trump’s presidency that he never planned to leave the office. He would often talk fancifully of serving two, three, even four terms in office before protesting in a breezy tone that he was “just joking” to forever own the libs. Trump actually filed for re-election for 2020 on his first day in office in 2016. He regularly claimed that he deserved a third term because his first term was mired in Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s investigation of Team Trump’s election conspiracy with Russia.

So, one could have expected that Trump would not respond well to the stark reality that he would only serve one term — four measly years — in the top job. Trump is at his lowest point in the presidency. The thought of no longer wielding almost unlimited power, coupled with the knowledge that he will cede that power to “Sleepy Joe,” who was able to defeat Trump from his “basement” is galling for him.

33. Ethereum 2.0 is Out Now, But Can It Beat Bitcoin?

Isaiah McCall is a USA Today reporter and he loves to write about cryptocurrency. He is not a writer you should ignore. Since cryptocurrency is the future of all money, think of him as your money guru.

He can make you rich if you read his other work. Don’t forget to follow him.

Ether, the world’s second-largest virtual currency is on the move — and it’s making investors rich. Earlier this week Ethereum 2.0 launched and will make Ether faster and more secure. The upgrade allows for thousands of more transactions to take place every second.

This year, Ether is up 350%. Furthermore, it brushed an all-time high of $600 for the first time since June 2018. In case you don’t have $19,000 laying around to invest in Bitcoin, now may be the best time to look into Ether.

32. A Leader Who Believed in People First

At number one is Paul Myers MBA’s story. He is a top writer in Business, Ideas, Future, Innovation, and Leadership. If you read this story, I can bet you’d like to read his other stories as well.

Competitive advantages that large corporations once held have faded. Today big brands are following the Zappos model, direct to consumer (DTC), the very model startups and entrepreneurs adopt from the outset.

Zappos founder, Tony Hsieh, “was an internet pioneer” who developed “a banner advertisement company in 1996” after graduating from “Harvard University with a degree in computer science.”

31. When White Privilege Shows You White Lives Matter More

Rebecca Stevens A. is an excellent writer. Her style is direct and compelling. If you read her stories, you’ll learn a lot about writing well. Notice how she grabs your attention right from the start.

I once worked for a company that regularly sent me on missions to Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both countries are in Africa and were considered high risk in terms of the rampant kidnappings of foreign nationals. It was company policy to have a robust security detail to visit these countries.

One year, my white colleague Fred and I traveled to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo to set up a public health program. It was a three-day trip and the security company was charging us a fortune to escort us around the city.

30. You Are the Imposter You Always Thought You Were

Fareeha Arshad is a writer and a scientist. Her style is engaging and full of suspense. Her voice is fresh and the topic she has chosen today is, well, surprising. Don’t miss this one.

This must have been surprising.

I felt the same, too, when I was introduced to this concept. I mean, come on, creativity is often linked to a lonesome pursuit of a creative genius — who not only transforms the world but also changes the perspective of the generations to follow.

Creativity is meant to be personal and therefore, unique. This is supposed to be a universal truth that has to be unanimously agreed upon.

However, that’s not always the case.

29. New Politics Are not Left nor Right. They’re Human

Desiree Driesenaar wants to align the economy, ecology, and human spirit. You would love this masterpiece. She is telling us about a new type of politics — that is more human. Read this smart piece to know more. Don’t miss this one.

The world is changing fast now. Thundering waves are eroding our rocks. And most of us only see the negative excesses. Destruction, inequality, and oppression. Politicians are trying to force limited routes out of the mess. They have different worldviews. And we currently categorize them in left and right.

The Left wants a big government. Curtailing free markets. Controlling businesses so they do as little harm as possible.

The Right wants the free market to be left alone. They say the market will solve all problems in the end.

Let me tell you, both of them are wrong. The eroding wave that will save us all is made out of collaborating, compassionate human drops. Not left, nor right, just human. And regenerative.

28. Republicans: The Real Victims in All This

At number two, read Dr. Dion’s viral piece. She is an outstanding writer. Her style is engaging and full of suspense. Don’t miss this one. And don’t forget to check her other work.

If you missed Donald Trump’s first rally since losing the presidential election to Joe Biden by almost 7 million votes, the entirety of his nearly 2-hour rant can be summed up in three sentences he bellowed to an adoring Georgia crowd:

“We’re all victims. Everybody here, all these thousands of people here tonight, they’re all victims. Every one of you.”

Donald Trump’s message to the largely White, male, conservative, Republican crowd is a simple, yet sinister one. Whenever you don’t win, whenever you lose, it is not because you tried and fought hard, but were bested by a stronger competitor. It is because you were cheated.

27. Scientists Amazingly Discover How to Control the Brain with Light

Charles Stephen is a retired scientist and an experienced online publisher. His writing style is formal and highly engaging. Do check his other work but don’t miss this one.

Have you ever heard of optogenetics?

It is an exciting new neurotech that experts are excited about.

Optogenetics is a technology that controls the brain by using different frequencies of light¹. It has blended both engineering and neurobiology to activate the workings of how brain neurons function naturally.

26. What It Means to ‘Do Your Own Research’

Ana Mamic is a fine writer. Her writing style is engaging and her voice is calm and logical. She can teach you to be more careful next time you are scrolling through endless social media content — if you allow her. Do check her other work.

Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic. (Frank Herbert, “Dune”)

The most efficient fiction of Nazi propaganda was the story of a Jewish world conspiracy. (Hannah Arendt, “The Origins of Totalitarianism”)

I see it more and more in the comments sections on social media: the exhortation to “do your own research.” The call to question not just authority, but everything that‘s presented to you as fact. To wake up. To refuse the blue pill of complacence and ignorance and follow the White Rabbit instead, like Neo in The Matrix. To start preparing.

25. How to Make a New Year’s Resolution That Works

Dr. Jeff Livingston is an excellent writer. This story is a 1-minute read and a masterpiece of short-form writing. If you are not following him already, here is your chance. After you read this story, do check his other work.

His stories have been published in Elemental, Medium Coronavirus Blog, The Startup, P.S. I Love You, and more.

Do you know why most of us fail in our New Year’s Resolutions? We focus on the things we should change and ignore the areas we are genuinely passionate about improving.

All of us have areas in our lives we want to improve. Until we decide where we want to commit our energy, nothing will change.

24. OneCoin — The $4 Billion Scam

Jason Ward is a freelance journalist, author, and writer. I have selected his other stories in the past lists. He is such a brilliant writer that you can’t ignore his work.

This story tells you about one of the most successful con women in the world. I hope more women will follow her example! Just kidding. Enjoy

Dr Ruja Ignatova was known as the ‘Cryptoqueen’ and in a three-year period, managed to fleece her investors of an incredible $4 billion USD before disappearing. Her whereabouts are still unknown.

This is the remarkable story of ‘OneCoin’, one of the greatest scams ever committed.

23. Stages of Language Acquisition

Chelsea Mandler MAT is an everyday mortal, person, human, eccentric, unconventional, and educated. She is an exceptional writer and an editor of Illumination as well.

Her writing style is thought-provoking, elegant, and very engaging. If you like this article, do check her other work.

The very essence of being human incorporates language. Language is the catalyst for humans to connect and understand each other. Without communication, limitations of human understanding would place invisible barriers that could jeopardize intimacy and closeness that humans crave. Fortunately, we are born with a hard-wired ability to learn a language (Denahm & Lobeck, 2013). And while learning language is paramount to civilized communal living, the acquisition of language is acquired in stages. (Denham & Lobeck, 2013).

22. It Is Possible To Move Beyond Grief

Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is an educator and an author. She writes to speak her truth. She is a skilled writer. Her writing style is honest and engaging. Don’t forget to check her other work.

The 2019 holiday season was very typical for me. I embraced the excitement and the true meaning as I always did.

While I silently protested as my father asked me to complete his Christmas shopping for my mother during the final hours before store closed as he did most of my adult life, I braved the cold evening elements as well as the crowds and purchased his gifts. My daughter and I selected memorable gifts for my mother on his behalf. I remember how carefully I wrapped a large box containing several packages of gourmet coffee that I ordered for my father for yet another Christmas. The delicious aroma of the flavored coffee packages penetrated the large box as I wrapped it. The smell of the fresh coffee added enjoyment to my gift wrapping.

21. All Eyes on Georgia; What Will Happen in the Senate Runoffs

Dr. Dion is an extraordinary writer. You must have read at least one of her stories. If you haven’t here is your chance to become her fan. She is always adorable. If you follow her, you’ll wait for her next story.

The eyes of the country — and likely the world — are on the January 5, 2021 US Senate runoff elections in Georgia. Beyond the rare occurrence of two Senate seats in the same state up for grabs at the same time, both going to a runoff election is even more unusual. Couple that with the fact that the outcome determines who controls the US Senate and the fate of Biden’s presidency, and the stakes could not be higher.

In one race, Rev. Raphael Warnock, Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church is challenging appointed incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler. In the other, Journalist Jon Ossoff is challenging first-term incumbent David Perdue. Warnock and Ossoff are Democrats; Warnock is Black, Ossoff is White (and Jewish, which his opponent has attempted to make a central issue in the campaign). Loeffler and Perdue are both wealthy, White Republicans who trade heavily in the stock market (which their opponents have attempted to make a central issue in the campaign).

20. Who is Nick Hanauer and Why Should We Listen to Him

Janice Maves an essayist and a thinker. I am introducing her as an accomplished writer, but she is introducing another guy, Nick Hanauer. Her writing style is engaging and thought-provoking. Do check her other work.

There are few people that I listen to in this world with rapt attention. When I was young I certainly didn’t listen to my parents with any level of full attention, nor to my teachers nor other authority figures. The leads I followed were those of pop culture and popularity. Teenagers do that. Adults have a responsibility to delve a bit deeper.

Hearing Nick Hanauer being interviewed on NPR made me curious about him. Being good at 21st century research, I Googled him and listened to a 2014 TED talk he gave. It both amazed and delighted me that this self described plutocrat is worth listening to. Most rich guys are just assholes hoping to increase their self worth. Hanauer, however, is a rich guy who wants everyone in our society to reap the benefits that led to his wealth, for perfectly selfish reasons.

19. A Priest Called Me Promiscuous and I Cried Tears of Joy

At number one today, meet Tracy Stengel. She is an exceptional writer and a freelance editor. Her style is gentle, charming, engaging, and heartwarming. Don’t miss this one.

It wasn’t the first time I had come to talk to this priest. We’d met privately a couple times before. I was going on my fifth consecutive year of pain, fear, and misery. There was no end in sight.

I clung to my torso with my arms crossed as if giving myself a much-needed hug. My ribs stuck out. I was malnourished — both nutritionally and spiritually.

Depression had a way of dulling hunger pains and twisting my stomach into a knot of hopelessness and grief. I wasn’t suicidal, but if something “happened” to me, I wouldn’t have cared. Maybe I tempted fate. Back then, I took a lot of unnecessary chances.

18. Thanks For Your Advice, But I Need To Be White To Follow It

Rebecca Stevens A. is: Global nomad-Sierra Leone-Switzerland-Canada-Sociologist-Philosopher-Writer-Swimmer-Paraglider-Dog lover-Passionate-Kind-Impatient Optimist-Pro-Democracy-Brave.

She is an extraordinary writer. Her style is going to stir your emotions. Follow her, read her, and wait for her next story.

I am an antiracism writer. I share my experiences with racism so that people understand that it is real, that it is not the collective hallucination of black people the world over. I write from a place of pain and trauma, it hurts to relive these experiences as I recount them, but I feel I need to share them with the universe to generate empathy, compassion, and hopefully change.

Often, white people mainly, get aggressive and defensive about what I write. This manifests itself by outright insults, gaslighting, and bullying. Others look down from their pedestal of white privilege and give me advice that could only possibly work for me if I were white like them.

17. What Barack Said About Michelle

At number one, it is Dr. Dion. She is an outstanding writer. Unbothered. Unapologetic. Unashamed.

Her writing style is direct, informative, and very engaging. She has three stories on this list.

Some of her stories have gone viral in recent days. Follow her. Read her. Try to learn from her style.

Former President Barack Obama recently released his nearly 800-page memoir detailing the time from his first run for the White House nearly 14 years ago until the current day. Many notable excerpts from the memoir spilled into the public conversation as Obama made the perfunctory rounds of book-release interviews. Among those were his trip to the inauguration with his predecessor George W. Bush, his thorny relationship with Senator Mitch McConnell, and the role racial resentment of his presidency played in the rise of Donald Trump.

16. How a Beautiful African Princess Became Queen Victoria’s Goddaughter

Allison Gaines is a black womanist. She has a Masters in Psychology and she is a teacher. She is a brilliant writer. Her writing style is informative, entertaining, and very engaging. Do check her other work.

Sarah Forbes Bonetta led an adventurous life. Born as an African princess to the Yoruba people in 1843, her parents named her Omoba Aina. Her noble title saved her from the harsh conditions of enslavement. Nevertheless, King Gezo led his troops to capture her as a political prisoner of war; she was three years old at the time. Her parents became victims of the conflict, and she seemed destined to become a human sacrifice. During this time, Commander Forbes of the Royal Navy witnessed a ceremony called the “watering of the graves.

15. Why You Should Stop Using Duolingo

AJ Krow is: Teacher. Writer. Editor. Future Author. CS Grad Student. Progressive Voter.

He is an excellent writer as well. This story is one of his masterpieces. If you read this story, you’ll love to read his other work. Don’t miss this one.

I’ve been attempting to learn Italian for a few years now. Note that I said attempting. Frankly, learning a language is not easy. Like any other skill, language learning requires dedication and time, something not always available to full-time workers.

When looking for resources available to learn a language, I came across Duolingo. Duolingo is a free app that sends you daily reminders (should you choose to do so) to learn vocabulary for that language.

14. Why Negative Thinking is the Worst Form of Self-Sabotage

Dawn Bevier is a teacher, thinker, and lifelong learner. She is a great writer as well. Her writing voice is very engaging and thought-provoking in this story. If you want to learn to write well, you must follow her and wait for her future stories.

There’s a game going on in my brain, and right now, I’m on my way to a crushing defeat. It’s my self-esteem versus my inner voice, and my inner voice is a bitch. She’s ruthless and she doesn’t play fair. And before I even hop on the playing field to work towards my dreams, she’s convinced me I need to save my time and forfeit the game. Her secret? She gets into my head and whispers wickedly:

“You’re a loser”

“Who are you to think you can (fill in the blank)”

“Why waste your energy on something you know you can’t achieve?”

“You’re stupid to think you can be a success like (fill in the blank)”

“You just don’t have have it takes”

13. 5 Red Flags You Must Not Ignore in People You Hang Out With

Haris Mohammad is a coach, trader, and engineer. He writes about personal growth, money, and business. He is an excellent writer. His writing style is thought-provoking and engaging. Do check his other work.

There are certain kinds of people we hate to have around us. Most notably, the kind prone to abusive and violent outbursts. However, not everyone bad for us gives out such loud and obvious signals.

In fact, certain traits make people likable to us when it’s in our best interests to stay away from them. Besides, sometimes even well-meaning friends can cause us much harm through unintended consequences of their actions.

12. The Easiest Buddhist Practice To Hammer Down Stress and Anxiety

At number one, it’s Sebastian Purcell, Ph.D. He is a philosopher and a happiness researcher. His style is friendly, focused, and compelling. You should check his other work if you like this one. Brilliance shines through his pieces, from start to end.

Buddhism offers a toolbox of practices for living well. You have probably heard about breath meditation (ānāpānasmṛti), for example. But have you heard of “changing the peg?”

While breath meditation is focused on uniting your conscious mind with an awareness of your own body, changing the peg is focused on altering the process of your thoughts themselves.

My practical purpose in this essay is to explain what this practice is and how to use it.

11. The Frustratingly Simple Reason Why Black People Voted For Trump

At number one, you have to read Steve QJ’s unique insights to know why many black people voted for Trump. Steve QJ is a rising star of Medium. You must check his other work.

Last month, I wrote an article about the Left’s failure to understand Trump’s popularity. While it was generally well-received, some people couldn’t get behind the central premise, namely that Trump’s supporters couldn’t all be dismissed as a bunch of racist, amoral bigots.

It’s not difficult to see where they’re coming from. Trump counts people like David Duke, the Proud Boys, and even the Taliban among his supporters. Trump himself was sued for discriminating against African-American tenants, described Mexicans as criminals and rapists, and was a leading voice in the racist “Birther” movement, which essentially questioned whether a black man should be considered an American at all.

10. The Surprising Lessons that Buddhism and Cynicism Can Teach You About Being Present and Happy

At number one, it is Sebastian Purcell, Ph.D. He is talking about how Buddhism and cynicism can teach you something about living in the present moment. Sebastian is an excellent writer, but he is a philosopher and a happiness researcher as well. Don’t forget to read his stories and don’t forget to follow him.

One of the paradoxes of life is that to be happier you don’t have to get more stuff or do new things. You only have to live the life you already have and be more fully present in it. I can give you a story to explain.

After planning for more than a decade, my wife and I finally travelled to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. While there, we thought to visit one gorgeous waterfall. The problem?

Everyone else had the same idea.

9. 3 Reasons Why Our System is Working Against Black-Owned Businesses

Thom Gallet writes optimistic unsolicited advice — his words. His style is simple, direct, and engaging. If you like this story, do check his other work. He is an excellent addition to your reading list.

He is writing about an important matter today. Don’t miss this one.

Alright, let’s get one thing straight; I’m coming at this topic with a lot of privilege. Not only in my race, but in my gender, wealth, and basically everything else that being a straight white male affords me.

I have no intention to represent people of colour or speak on their behalf. I’m writing from my perspective on why I believe this is an issue and should be addressed.

I firmly think it is our, the privileged individuals’ job, to amplify the message that our society is failing marginalized people.

8. The True Danger of Trump’s Bottomless Coup

It is Steve QJ’s viral piece. He is an excellent writer. His commentary is easy to read and engaging. Today he is telling us about an entertaining and melodramatic coup. Don’t miss it.

The biggest problem with Donald Trump’s ongoing coup is that it’s been so wonderfully entertaining. From the Four Seasons Total Landscaping debacle to the sight of Rudy Giuliani dissolving into a puddle of Just For Men and shame, to…whatever this is, it’s been the kind of reality TV spectacular that Trump could only have dreamed of whilst firing people on The Apprentice.

In fact, it’s been so entertaining, that it feels melodramatic to describe it as a coup at all. Coups are violent, bloody affairs that happen in failed states half a world away or in the grim, authoritarian past. They’re ghost stories designed to scare the weak-minded. Depending on where you sit politically, what we’re witnessing now, is either the last, vain attempt of an egomaniac to avoid admitting defeat or a righteous campaign to stand up for those who voted for him. And whichever it is, it’ll be over in a few months, right?

7. How to Spot a Preemptive Strike

Barbara L. Ciccarelli is a Ph.D., writer, teacher, and lifelong learner. She is an extraordinary writer. Her writing style is informative, thought-provoking, direct, and exceedingly engaging.

Don’t this masterpiece of writing. If you like her piece, follow her, and check her other work. I hope you’ll love her style.

Remember back in early 2000 when Bush came up with the Bush Doctrine regarding the Middle East to counter terrorism and justify the invasion of Iraq (remember the threat of mass destruction?)? The Bush administration had stated previously that the

“greater the threat, the greater the risk of inaction — and the more compelling the case for taking anticipatory action to defend ourselves” (The White House, 2002).

It was a strategy of “preemptive strikes” as a defense against an “immediate or perceived future threat to the security of the United States.” But Bush didn’t invent this maneuver. It was probably operating in social relations long before he came along and has been long since.

6. Dark Matter and the Dalai Lama

Mac Daniels is an artist/scientist with a penchant for words. It took him a long time to begin to see through my his eyes — and longer still to imagine a reason to try.

He is an outstanding writer. His style is frank, informative, and absolutely engaging. Don’t forget to follow him. Read him. Bookmark his stories and wait for his next story.

When I first heard of Dark Matter I thought, this must be a joke … those physicists are at it again, conjuring up more fantastic tales. Turns out, it’s no joke, though it may contain approximately 90% humor.

The Physicist: I had some physics in college, not Physics Major physics, just the run-of-the-mill, chem-major variety. But I always admired the physics guys, and loved talking to them. They would hang out in the lounge next to my physical chemistry class.

They were all philosophers — could’ve been philosophy majors, but they chose physics — because they were interested in the grand scheme of things, what made things tick. They were some of the smartest dudes around. They wanted to know.

5. How Early Reading Skills Contribute to a Child’s Development

Gayle Kurtzer-Meyers is a positive thinking freelance writer. She is a wonderful writer. If you read this story, you’ll probably check her other work and then you’ll become her lifelong fan.

Gayle thrives on intellect and spends extensive hours researching, interviewing, and documenting articles so that they stimulate and engage the minds of all readers. This article provides the reader with a heads-up revealing how vital reading is with young children’s expanding minds.

If you have young children or know of a young child, you certainly want to spend a few minutes reading this article.

Teaching your child how to read from an early age can be a challenge. Parenthood is overwhelming in itself, and it can be easy to lose sight of your child’s personal development in the process. However, research suggests that engaging with young children by reading, talking, and singing can stimulate cognitive development, bringing a host of benefits.

As per The American Academy of Pediatrics, children proficient in reading by the third grade are more likely to graduate high school and have a successful career. Unfortunately, 1 out of 3 children begins kindergarten without possessing the language skills required to read.

4. Neuropsychology Reveals Where Our Idea of “Self” Comes From

Simona is passionate about sharing insights from science to help bring more mindfulness, joy, and self-compassion into the lives of others. She is a brilliant writer.

Her writing style is simple, direct, and engaging. Follow her, read her stories, and wait for her future work. She needs your energy.

Can you consider the thought that right now, in this very instance, everything is ok? You are alive. You are breathing. Nothing is missing. If something vital to your survival was missing right now, you wouldn’t be here.

Yet there is a voice in your mind that may be wanting to explain everything that is apparently going wrong in your life — right now. You may be observing yourself thinking how silly this exercise might be. But who is the one noticing these thoughts? Could you imagine that the only thing keeping you from peace is the thought that something is not as it should be?

Neuropsychology is helping us understand where in the brain these thoughts come from.

3. Saying Goodbye to This Mindset is a Great Way to Begin 2021

Jeanette C. Espinoza is a mom of 2 amazing humans, author of 3 books, speaker, and activist. She is an amazing human herself.

Her writing style is out of this world. She beautifully arranges her thoughts and her selection of words is exquisite.

If you are not following her already, you can follow her now. You’ll learn a lot from how she takes an idea and turns it into a captivating masterpiece of writing.

Don’t miss this one.

Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change — Wayne Dyer.

The human mind is so powerful. Whatever we tell it to believe, it will grant our wish with the ease of a benevolent genie in a bottle. We are never powerless over our thoughts and because of free-will, we can simply offer up another concept to entertain if our current mindset no longer suits our needs.

2. In this Season of Giving, Follow Your Heart

Tracy Stengel is an exceptional writer and a freelance editor. Her style is gentle, charming, and heartwarming. If you read this story, you’ll become a better human being. If everybody reads it, it would be a better world when we wake up tomorrow. Don’t miss this one.

It started when I was young. My mother was The Volunteer of All Volunteers. For our schools. For our church. For our community. She set an example of helping people who needed it. Simple as that.

She repaired clothes for a local home for boys who were mentally handicapped and three or four times a year, we’d go there and hang out. Cleaning. Talking. Giving a hug when needed. As a little girl, the residents frightened me. It didn’t matter. They needed us.

1. Waiting For Your Big Break is The Worst Way to Succeed

At number one, it is Thomas Oppong. He is one of the superstars of Medium. His stories have been featured at Forbes, Business Insider, and other top publications.

Read his stories to learn to write and to live. His writing style is almost perfect — a writer who has already achieved what most of us wish to reach.

Most people are waiting for a big break — the day, week, month or year everything falls into place. They live with the stubborn illusion that one day they will make it big without embracing the real work.

It’s the worst way to live or aim for success. Waiting for the next big break in your career is probably holding you back.

The best way to succeed is to embrace the work ahead and proactively plan the steps and actions you need to get closer to the life you want.

Napoleon Hill once said, “Do not wait: the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along.”

This post is part of the Top 10 Series:

1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10–11–12–13–14–15–16–17–18–19–20–21–22–23–24–25–26–27–28–29–30–31–32–33–34–35–36–37–38–39–40–41–42–43–44–45–46–47–48–49–50–51

Final Thoughts

If your story was selected, please share another one of your stories in the comments with a brief introduction and a convincing review of your piece. (Please write the review in the third person and start it with your name.)

I must have missed many stories. I cannot read every story on Illumination and Illumination-Curated. Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, the Chief Editor and Founder of Illumination and Illumination-Curated read, highlighted, and applauded every story when he started his publications. He reads almost all of the good ones. I try to read all but I fail daily.

Dr. Mehmet Yildiz has allowed a full shelf on the front page of Illumination-Curated and Illumination for the top writer’s stories:

Kindly help me to find and rank the work of the writers of Illumination and Illumination-Curated.

Happy New Year!

To improve your odds of success as a writer, read these simplified curation guidelines.

You can read my curated stories here.

References:

1. https://www.insidehook.com/article/books/10-insane-ideas-that-made-brilliant-books-stephen-king-virginia-woolf